Sunday, September 22, 2013

Sunday Inactivity

I'm really disappointed in how our Sunday turned out. We had wonderful weather, this being the first day of Fall and it feeling like it, and plans to do the Maryland Lighthouse Challenge, which I referenced yesterday. We had planned to get up early, grab breakfast at Denny's, then head towards Southern Maryland and see some lighthouses. Our first problem was getting up. After another late night, it proved to be tough to get up this morning. 9:30 a.m. wasn't too late, but the next issue was a little girl who didn't seem to want to do anything. After all the talking we did yesterday, her mood had changed and I decided not to fight the battle. So we didn't do anything. We spent the entire day inside doing nothing except watch TV.

This is just a snapshot of a bigger problem that I've seen develop over the past few months. My daughter, who is a social butterfly with her friends, has become more and more of a shut-in. She has little desire to go out and play with her friends, particularly on the weekends, and instead would rather just sit at her laptop and play games. It has gotten worse since school started, especially given the increase in homework which takes her 2 to 3 hours each night, leaving her little time to play anyway. But I'm not going to blame her teachers for this. She just has little desire to do anything. That lack of desire, coupled with my own battle with depression which keeps me from doing things, has resulted in both of us not wanting to get out and do things.

I've tried to fight through this by actually planning things for us to do on the weekends, such as the Geocaching adventure last weekend, and the Lighthouse Challenge for this week, but when my daughter shows little desire to follow through, it doesn't take much to convince me to call it quits, as well. So between the two of us, we're really struggling. Being away all week on business didn't help.

One thing that might help is something my church has coming up on Wednesday evenings for girls my daughter's age. It's an activity night with games and fun, and may turn out to be just what the doctor ordered. As long as she's able to balance her homework with this activity night, it can only be good for her.

With the change in weather, and I absolutely love the cooler weather that comes with Fall, I want to be out doing things, whether my daughter wants to or not, not that I want to create a needless battle with her, but because we need to be doing things like this, today notwithstanding.

So what's on the agenda for next week? I have no idea. At least, not yet. But you can bet, if the weather is decent, I am not going to spend another weekend inside doing nothing. Look for us outside somewhere.

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Favorite Quotations

Matthew 16:23 - "But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.'"

Isaiah 41:10 - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

1 Peter 5:10 - "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope."

Titus 2:7-8 - "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Joshua 24:15 - "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Luke 2:14 - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

"Don't judge a man by where he is, because you don't know how far he has come." - C.S. Lewis

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence." - George Washington

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

"You don't lead by hitting people over the head -- that's assault, not leadership." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"The future starts today, not tomorrow." -- Pope John Paul II

"No man is a failure who has friends." - Clarence the Angel, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

"Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It's a good life; enjoy it." - Jim Henson